Category Archives: Democracy & Citizenship

Fairtrade – the global success story Fairtrade celebrated its 20th anniversary in October 2014. Growing from an obscure niche market to a globally recognized phenomenon, today the label is an established part of the UK commercial industry. Fairtrade International (or ‘FI’ – formally known as Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International or ‘FLO’) is the international body made up of the […]

Tina Schivatcheva National consensus – these words are missing from Bulgaria’s political vocabulary. In the midst of bitter political contentions, Bulgaria’s political scene is once again marred by open confrontations, and the bad-blood of back stabbing. Today, Saturday 11th of May, is the day before the early Bulgarian elections. In theory, this day should allow […]

Tina Schivatcheva On the 1st of May another Bulgarian victim of self-immolation passed away. Since the beginning of 2013 six people self-immolated inBulgaria, and their desperate acts further ’enflamed our sleeping society’ [1]. Traumatic events demand a response that recognizes their impact rather than one that moves rapidly to forgetting the trauma or incorporating it […]

Tina Schivatcheva The Political Choices of the Bulgarian Center-Right ‘We will put an end to the populism of the Left’ – with this firm promise Tsvetan Tsvetanov, former Bulgarian Minister of the Interior, and current deputy-president of the party ‘Citizens of European Development for Bulgaria’ (abbreviated in Bulgarian as GERB), addressed the Brussels politicians [1]. […]

Tina Schivatcheva Introitus Late January, 2013 marked the onset of the ‘Bulgarian spring,’ as the ‘art of government‘ collided with the force of the public will. Tumultuous events were ignited when post-socialist, post-EU accession Bulgaria was hit by dauntingly high energy bills. Public discontent erupted throughout the country; all major cities lit up by strong […]

Tina Schivatcheva Bulgaria’s constitution includes a wide range of social rights. However, the ‘democratic, law-governed and social state’ has been characterized as ‘chronically incapable of coping with its social problems or improving its level of economic prosperity’. Moreover, the Bulgarian ‘minimal state’ often cannot provide its citizens even with basic necessities, such as food, electricity, […]